Dear GATE 2017 Candidates,

On behalf of the GATE 2017 Teams, it is my pleasure to welcome you all to GATE 2017. The
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) conducted by IISc and IITs has emerged as
one of the bench mark tests for engineering and science aptitude in facilitating admissions
for

higher

education

(M.Tech./Ph.D.)

Institutes/Universities/Laboratories

in

IITs,

IISc

and

various

other

in India. With the standard and high quality of the

GATE examination in 23 disciplines of engineering and science subjects, it identifies the

candidates understanding of a subject and aptitude and eligibility for higher studies.
During the last few years, GATE score is also being used as one of the criteria for
recruitment in some National/State Public Sector Undertakings in India. Because of the
importance of the GATE examination, the number of candidates taking up GATE exams has
increased tremendously and in GATE 2016 more than 9.5 Lac candidates applied for the
examination. GATE exams are conducted by the IITs and IISc as a computer based test
having multiple choice questions and numerical answer type questions. The questions are
mostly fundamental, concept based and thought provoking. This year GATE 2017 shall hold
examinations for candidates in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and
United Arab Emirates. An Institute with various nationalities in its campus widens the
horizons of an academic environment. A foreign student brings with him/her a great
diversity, culture and wisdom to share. Many GATE qualified candidates are paid
scholarships/assistantship,

especially

funded

by

Ministry

of

Human

Resources

Development, Government of India and by other Ministries. GATE examination provides

with a GATE score to all qualified candidates, which is valid for three years, but does not
take any responsibility of admission of any candidate to any Institute. GATE is one of the
opportunities to make career advancement, and certainly not the only one. Hence, all
candidates are advised to study sincerely and perform honestly in this examination, without
getting unduly stressed out. This brochure provides the GATE 2017 aspirant with relevant
information about the GATE exams and corroborated with some performance/statistical
data of GATE 2016 to make the candidate better understand the GATE system. Please read
the complete document before making application.
With best wishes for a pleasant GATE 2017 experience and success.
Govind Chakrapani
Govind Chakrapani
Organizing chairman, GATE 2017
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Roorkee247667,Uttarakhand

3rd July 2016

What is new in GATE 2017?

New Section in

The XE (Engineering Sciences) paper now has a new section on

XE

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (section H). With this the

number of sections in the XE paper has increased to eight (A-H).

Examination
dates/sessions

February 4th, 5th 11th and 12th 2017 (tentative) in two sessions
(Forenoon session: 9.00 AM-12.00 Noon; Afternoon session:
2.00 PM-5.00 PM). Any change in timings or sessions/dates
shall be displayed on GATE website (www.gate.iitr.ernet.in)
The

session

timings

at

GATE

International

Centers

according to their local time shall be notified well in

advance.
GATE

GATE examinations shall be conducted in Bangladesh,

International

Ethiopia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and United Arab

Emirates. The pattern of examination remains same, exam
timing/Center shall be notified in admit cards. The
International candidates should have completed Bachelors
degree in Engineering or Masters degree in Science in
relevant subject or are in the final year of the program.

Application
process

1) No restriction on second choice examination city to be in the

same zone as first choice city. It can be anywhere in India.
2) Thumb impression of candidates needs to be uploaded
during the application procedure.
3) Candidates who have completed the qualifying degree, need
to upload scanned image of degree completion certificate or
final year/semester mark sheet. However, candidates
studying in the final year of their qualifying degree need to
upload scanned image of third year (fifth/sixth semester)
mark sheet, as proof of eligibility criterion. Similarly this
applies to candidates of AMIE, AMICE and other similar
programs.

Contents
1. Introduction
2. About GATE
2.1. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
2.2 EMPLOYMENT
2.3 ADMINISTRATION
3. Basic Features of GATE 2017
3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION ON GATE 2017
3.2 IMPORTANT DATES
4. Pre-Examination Related Information
4.1 ELIGIBILITY
4.2 GATE PAPERS
4.3 QUALIFYING DISCIPLINES
4.4 ZONE-WISE LIST OF CITIES
4.5 HOW TO APPLY
4.5.1 GATE ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESSING SYSTEM (GOAPS)
4.5.2 FILLING IN APPLICATION ONLINE
4.5.2.1 Supporting Documents
4.5.2.1.1 Eligibility Documents
4.5.2.1.2 SC/ST/PwD Certificate
4.5.3 APPLICATION FEE PAYMENT OPTIONS
4.5.3.1 Online Net-banking Payment Details
4.5.4 PHOTOGRAPH AND SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS
4.5.4.1 Photograph Requirements
4.5.4.2 Signature Specifications
4.5.4.3 Thumb Impression Specifications
4.6 ADMIT CARD
5. Examination Related Information
5.1 STRUCTURE OF GATE 2017
5.1.1 GENERAL APTITUDE QUESTIONS
5.1.2 XE PAPER
5.1.3 XL PAPER
5.2 DURATION AND MARKS
5.3 PATTERN OF QUESTION PAPERS
5.4 MARKING SCHEME
5.4.1 GENERAL APTITUDE (GA) QUESTIONS
5.4.2 QUESTION PAPERS OTHER THAN GG, XE AND XL
5.4.3 GG (GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS) PAPER
5.4.4 XE PAPER (ENGINEERING SCIENCES)
5.4.5 XL PAPER (LIFE SCIENCES)
5.4.6 NEGATIVE MARKING
6. Post-Examination Related Information
6.1 GATE SCORE
6.2 GATE 2017 RESULTS
6.3 GATE 2017 SCORE CARD
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
7.1 APPLICATION PROCESS
7.2 ADMIT CARD
7.3 GATE 2017 EXAM
7.4 GUIDELINES RELATED TO PWD CANDIDATES
8 Performance of Candidates in GATE 2016
9. Contact Us

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IIT Roorkee
1. Introduction
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an examination that
primarily tests the comprehensive understanding of the candidates in
various undergraduate subjects in Engineering/Technology/Architecture
and post-graduate level subjects in Science. The GATE score of a
candidate reflects a relative performance level in a particular subject in
the examination across several years. The score is used for admissions
to post-graduate programs (e.g., M.E./M.Tech/ Direct Ph.D.) in centrally
funded Indian Institutes of higher education (i.e., Institutes which are
provided with financial assistance by MHRD and other Government
agencies). The score is also used by some Public and Private Sector
Undertakings for employment processes in India. Direct recruitment to
Group A level posts i.e., Senior Field Officer (SFO Tele), Senior Research
Officer (SRO) (Crypto) and SRO (S&T) in Cabinet Secretariat are also
carried out on the basis of GATE scores.
This year GATE 2017 examination shall be held in Bangladesh,
Ethiopia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates for
admissions of candidates from these nationalities in IITs and IISc.
The information in this brochure is mainly categorized into PreExamination (Eligibility, Application submission, Examination Centers
etc.), Examination (Syllabus, Pattern, Marks/Score, Model Question
Papers etc.) & Post-Examination (Answers, Results, Scorecard etc.)
sections.

IIT Bombay
2. About GATE
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and seven Indian Institutes of
Technology (IITs at Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur,
Madras and Roorkee) jointly administer the conduct of GATE. The
operations related to GATE in each of the 8 zones are managed by a
zonal GATE Office at the IITs or IISc. The Organizing Institute (OI) is
responsible for the end-to-end process and coordination amongst the
administering Institutes. Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee is
the Organzing Institute for GATE 2017.

2.1. Financial Assistance

A valid GATE score is essential for obtaining financial assistance during
Masters

programs

and

direct

Engineering/Technology/Architecture,

Doctoral
and

Doctoral

programs
programs

in
in

relevant branches of Science in Institutes supported by the MHRD or

other Government agencies. As per the directives of the MHRD, the
following procedure is to be adopted for admission to the post-graduate
programs (Masters and Doctoral) with MHRD scholarship/assistantship.
Depending upon the norms adopted by a specific institute or department
of the Institute, a candidate may be admitted directly into a course
6

based on his/her performance in GATE only or based on his/her

performance in GATE and an admission test/interview conducted by the
department to which he/she has applied and/or the candidates
academic record. If the candidate is to be selected through test/interview
for post-graduate programs, a minimum of 70% weightage will be given
to the performance in GATE and the remaining 30% weightage will be
given to the candidates performance in test/interview and/or academic
record, as per MHRD guidelines. The admitting institutes could however
prescribe a minimum passing percentage of marks in the test/interview.
Some colleges/institutes specify GATE qualification as the mandatory
requirement

even

for

admission

without

MHRD

scholarship/assistantship.
To avail of financial assistance (scholarship), the candidate must first
secure admission to a program in these Institutes, by a procedure that
could vary from institute to institute. The admitting Institutes may also
specify the number of candidates who shall be provided financial
assistance
candidates,

(scholarship),

if

similarly

admission
may

is
be

secured.

International

provided

with

scholarship/assistantship (all or limited) as per the notification of

the admitting Institutes. Qualification in GATE is also a minimum
requirement to apply for various fellowships awarded by many
Government organizations. Candidates are advised to seek complete
details

of

admission

procedures

and

availability

of

MHRD

scholarship/assistantship from the concerned admitting institution. The

criteria for postgraduate admission with scholarship/assistantship could
be different for different institutions. The management of the postgraduate scholarship/assistantship is also the responsibility of the
admitting institution. Similarly, reservation of seats under different
categories is as per the policies and norms prevailing at the admitting
institution and Government of India rules. GATE offices will not entertain
any enquiry about admission, reservation of seats and/or award of
scholarship/assistantship.

2.2 Employment
Several public sector undertakings, have, in the past, used GATE scores
for screening of candidates.

A few such organizations are: Indian Oil

Corporation Limited, National Thermal Power Corporation, Oil and

Natural Gas Corporation and Power Grid Corporation etc.
Note:

GATE

administration

is

not

responsible

for

employment

opportunities. The qualified candidates must check newspapers and

other reliable sources for any such information.

2.3 Administration
GATE is administered and conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc) and seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on behalf
of the National Coordination Board (NCB)-GATE, Department of Higher
Education,

Ministry

of

Human

Resource

Development

(MHRD),

Government of India. The GATE committee, which comprises of

representatives from these administering institutes, is the sole authority
for regulating the examination and declaring the results.
GATE is conducted through the collaboration of eight zones. The zones
and the corresponding administrative institutes are:
Zone-1: Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Zone-2: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Zone-3: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Zone-4: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Zone-5: Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Zone-6: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Zone-7: Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Zone-8: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee shall be responsible for the
overall coordination of GATE 2017.
8

IIT Delhi
3. Basic Features of GATE 2017
1. Examinations for all the 23 papers (disciplines) will be conducted by
an ONLINE Computer Based Test (CBT). A candidate can appear
only in any one paper of the GATE examination. The online
examination paper will contain some questions for which numerical
answers must be keyed in by the candidate using the virtual keypad.
Rest of the questions shall be of Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) type.
A virtual on screen calculator only shall be used during examination.
2. Biometric information (Photograph and Fingerprints) for randomly
selected candidates may be captured before the start of the
examination.
3. GATE 2017 examinations will be held during forenoon and afternoon
sessions on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) on 4th, 5th, 11th and 12th
February 2017. Examination for some of the papers in GATE 2017 will
be held in multiple sessions. Exact details regarding complete
examination schedule will be notified at a later date, on the GATE
2017 website. The session timings at GATE International Centers as
per their local time shall be notified well in advance.

4. For GATE 2017 the entire process of filling up of application form,

uploading of certificates/documents etc., will be online and the
9

candidates should not send any hard copy of their application

form/documents etc., to IITR or any of the IITs zonal GATE office.
5. The payment of application fees would be through electronic mode;
online as well as through payment at bank counters using e-challan.
6. The admit cards for GATE 2017 would be available through the online
process only. Candidates can download their admit card from GATE
2017 website. Candidates need to download and print admit cards
from gate website and NO printed copy of admit cards shall be sent
by post to the candidates.

3.1 General Information on GATE 2017

1. Application Process: For GATE 2017, all information related to the
candidates will be available in a single GATE Online Application
Processing System (GOAPS). Candidates have to register and fill the
application via ONLINE mode ONLY. The photograph, signature,
thumb

impression,

qualifying

degree

certificate,

and

category

certificate (SC/ST/PwD) wherever applicable, must be uploaded

during the online application. Candidates shall be required to enter
the specified number in their identification card such as, in
Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, Aadhaar UID, valid College ID,
Employee identification card (only these identification cards shall
be accepted in GATE 2017). The candidates who do not have any of
these identity cards, may please get one of these cards issued before
application procedure. Please note that no application form is
available for sale anywhere. For International candidates, a valid
Passport ONLY shall be accepted as the recognized identification.
2. Admit Card: Admit cards have to be downloaded from the GOAPS
website tentatively from 5th January 2017. The candidate has to bring
a printed copy of the admit card to the test centre along with the
original identification card (Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, Aadhaar
UID,

valid

College

ID,

Employee

identification

card).

For
10

International candidates, a valid Passport ONLY shall be accepted

as the recognized identification. Since, the only permitted photo
identifications are; Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, Aadhaar UID,
valid College ID, Employee identification card, candidates who do
not have any of these, must get one done before filling online
application.
3. Types of Questions: The GATE examination shall be of 3 hours
duration with a maximum of 100 marks. The question paper for GATE
2017 will consist of questions of both multiple-choice type and
numerical answer type. For multiple choice type questions, candidates
have to choose the answer from the given choices. For numerical
answer type questions, candidates have to enter a number as the
answer using a virtual keypad.

3.2 Important Dates

Table 3.1: Important dates related to GATE 2017
GATE Online Application Processing

Thursday

System (GOAPS) Website Opens

(00:00 Hrs)

Last Date for Submission of Online

Application through Website
Last Date for Request for Change in
the Choice of City
Availability
Online

of

Admit

Application

Card

1st September 2016

Tuesday

4th October 2016

(23:59 Hrs)

Wednesday 16th November 2016

on the

Interface

for Thursday

5th January 2017

printing
GATE 2017 Online Examination

Saturday

Forenoon: 9.00 AM to 12.00 Noon

and

Afternoon: 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM

Sunday

Announcement

of

Results

Online Application Website

on

the

Monday

February 4, 2017
February 5, 2017
February 11, 2017
February 12, 2017

27th March 2017

(18:00 Hrs)
11

IIT Guwahati
4. Pre-Examination Related Information
4.1 Eligibility
Before starting the application process, the candidate must ensure that
he/she meets the educational eligibility criteria of GATE 2017 as shown
in Table 4.1.
Table 4.1: Eligibility Criteria for GATE 2017
Description

Year of

of Eligible

qualification

Candidates

not later than-

Bachelors degree in Engineering/

Currently in

2017

B.Tech./

Technology (4 years after 10+2 or

the final

B.Pharm.

3 years after Diploma in

year or

Engineering/ Technology)

already

Qualifying

Qualifying Degree/Examination

Degree

(Descriptive)

B.E./

completed
B. Arch.

Bachelors degree in Architecture

Currently in

(Five years course)

the final

2017

year or
already
completed

12

B.Sc. (Research)/ Bachelors degree in Science

Currently in

B.S.

(Post-Diploma/

the 4th year

4 years after 10+2)

or already

2017

completed
M. Sc./

Masters degree in any branch of

Currently in

M.A./MCA or

Science/Mathematics / Statistics /

the final

equivalent

Computer Applications or equivalent year or

2017

already
completed
Int. M.E/

Post-BSc Integrated Masters degree

Currently in

M.Tech

programs in Engineering /

the

(Post-B.Sc.)

Technology (Four year program)

2nd/3rd/4th

2019

year or
already
completed
Int. M.E./
M.Tech or Dual
Degree
(after Diploma or
10+2)

Integrated Masters degree program

or Dual Degree program in
Engineering / Technology (Five year
program)

Currently in
the 4th/5th
year or

2018

already
completed

Int. M.Sc/

Integrated M.Sc. or Five year

Currently in

Int. B.Sc/M.Sc.

integrated B. Sc/M. Sc. program

the final

2017

year or
already
completed
Professional

B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. equivalent

Completed

Society

examinations, of Professional

section A or

Examination

Societies, recognized by

equivalent of

(equivalent to

MHRD/UPSC/AICTE (e.g., AMIE by

such

B.E./

Institution of Engineers-India,

professional

B.Tech./B.Arch.)

AMICE by the Institute of Civil

courses

NA

Engineers-India)

13

Candidates from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and

United Arab Emirates must have completed or are in the final year of
their Bachelors degree in Engineering/Technology or Post-graduate
(M.Sc.) degree in any relevant science subject.
In case, a candidate has completed one of the qualifying examinations as
mentioned above in 2016 or earlier, the candidate has to submit the degree
certificate/provisional certificate/course completion certificate/professional
certificate/membership certificate issued by the society or institute. In case,
the candidate is expected to complete one of the qualifying criteria in 2017
or later as mentioned above, he/she has to submit a copy of mark sheet of
the previous semester/year or mark sheet for section A of AMIE.

4.2 GATE Papers

GATE 2017 will be conducted in the subjects (papers) shown in Table 4.2.
Candidates must note down the paper code for the paper of their choice, as
this information shall be required at the time of application form
submission. A candidate is allowed to appear in ONLY ONE GATE paper.
Since a candidate is allowed to appear in ONLY ONE of the 23 papers for
which GATE 2017 examination is being held, the candidate has to make the
choice of the paper he/she wishes to write carefully. It will NOT be possible
to change the paper choice after online application has been submitted on
the website. Table 4.2 shows a list of GATE papers and paper codes for
GATE 2017.

14

Table 4.2: GATE Papers and the Paper Codes for GATE 2017
GATE Paper

Code

GATE Paper

Code

Aerospace Engineering

AE

Geology and Geophysics

GG

Agricultural Engineering

AG

Instrumentation

IN

Engineering
Architecture and Planning

AR

Mathematics

MA

Biotechnology

BT

Mechanical Engineering

ME

Civil Engineering

CE

Mining Engineering

MN

Chemical Engineering

CH

Metallurgical Engineering

MT

Computer Science and

CS

Petroleum Engineering

PE

Information Technology
Chemistry

CY

Physics

PH

Electronics and

EC

Production and Industrial

PI

Communication Engineering
Electrical Engineering

Engineering
EE

Textile Engineering and

TF

Fiber Science
Ecology and Evolution

EY

Engineering Sciences

XE

Life Sciences

XL

4.3 Qualifying Disciplines

Table 4.3 shows a list of the qualifying disciplines. This is just an
exhaustive list and not necessary that the name of the candidates degree
has to be as per the Table 4.3.

15

Table 4.3: Qualifying Disciplines for Eligibility Degrees

Discipline: Engineering/Technology

Discipline: Science

Aeronautical Engg./ Aerospace Engg.

Agricultural Science

Agricultural Engg.

Applied Electronics

Applied Mechanics

Applied Physics

Architecture

Biochemistry

Automobile Engg.

Bio-Sciences

Biochemical Engg.

Chemistry

Biomedical Engg.

Computer Applications

Biotechnology

Earth Sciences

Ceramic & Glass Technology

Electronics

Chemical Engg.

Engineering Physics

Chemical Technology

Geology/ Geophysics

Civil/Civil & Environmental/Structural

Engg./ Construction Engg.

Industrial Chemistry

Computer Engg.,/Computer Science &

Engg./Technology

Life Science/Veterinary/Animal
Science

Control and Instrumentation

Life Sciences

Electrical Engg./ Electrical and Electronics

Engg./Power Engineering

Life Sciences (Botany)

Electro-Chemical Engg.

Life Sciences (Zoology)

Electronics & Comm./Electronics

Materials Science

Engg./Comm. Engg. /Telecommunication

Engg.
Energy Engg.

Mathematics/Applied Mathematics

Environmental Engg.

Microbiology

Food Technology/Food Processing Engg.

Nano Science & Technology

16

Industrial Engg.

Nuclear Physics

Industrial Management

Operations Research

Information Science/Information
Technology/Information and Communication
Technology

Pharmaceutical Sciences/Pharmacy

Instrumentation/ Electronics/Control

Physics

Instrumentation & Process Control

Radio Physics

Manufacturing Engg.

Radio Physics & Electronics

Material Science and Engineering

Statistics

Mechanical Engg.

Textile Chemistry

Mechatronics

All other disciplines in Sciences

Medical Instrumentation
Metallurgical Engg./ Industrial Metallurgy
Mineral Engg./Mineral Dressing
Mining Engg./Technology, Mining &
Machinery
Naval Architecture/Marine Engg.
Oil Technology
Paint Technology
Petro-Chemical Engg.
Petroleum Engg./Technology
Planning
Plastic Technology
Polymer Technology/Science
Production & Industrial Engg.
Renewable Energy

17

Rubber Technology
Textile Engineering & Fiber Science
All other disciplines in Engg./Technology

4.4 Zone-wise List of Cities

Choice of Examination City: The candidates can choose three cities
from the list of examination cities given in Table 4.4 as their first, second
and third choices. There is no restriction on the second and third chosen
city to be in the same GATE zone as the first chosen city. Because of
operational constraints, the GATE committee reserves the right to add a
new city or remove an existing one, and allot a city that may not be any
of the choices of a candidate.
Table 4.4 shows a tentative list of the cities (zone-wise) in which GATE
2017 shall be held. Also shown in the table are the Zonal GATE Offices
(one of the IITs or IISc).
Table 4.4: Zone-wise examination city list for GATE 2017
Zone
No.
1

Zonal GATE Office

IISc Bangalore
Bengaluru - 560 012
Website:
http://gate.iisc.ernet.in/

Tentative List of Examination Cities*

Ananthapur, Bagalkot, Bengaluru, Bellary,
Belgaum, Bidar, Davengere, Gulbarga, Hassan,
Hubli, Hyderabad, Kannur, Kasargod, Kolar,
Kozhikode, Kurnool, Malappuram, Mangalore,
Manipal, Mysore, Palakkad, Payyannur, Port
Blair, Shimoga, Thrissur, Tumkur ,Vadakara

IIT Bombay, Powai,

Ahmedabad, Ahmednagar, Amravati, Anand,

Mumbai - 400 076

Aurangabad, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Gandhinagar,

Website:

Goa, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mehsana, Mumbai,

http://www.gate.iitb.ac.in/

Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Pune,

Rajkot, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Satara, Solapur,
Surat, Thane, Vadodara

18

IIT Delhi, HauzKhas,

Ajmer, Alwar, Bahadurgarh, Bikaner, New

New Delhi 110016

Delhi, Faridabad, Greater NOIDA, Gurgaon,

Website:
http://gate.iitd.ac.in/

Hisar,

Indore,

Jammu,

Jaipur,

Jodhpur,

Karnal, Kota, Mathura, Palwal, Rohtak, Sikar,

Udaipur, Ujjain

IIT Guwahati

Agartala,

Guwahati 781039

Dhanbad,

Website:
http://www.iitg.ernet.in/gate/
5

IIT Kanpur
Kanpur 208016
Website:
http://gate.iitk.ac.in/

IIT Kharagpur
Kharagpur 721302
Website:
http://gate.iitkgp.ac.in/

Asansol-Durgapur,

Imphal,

Dibrugarh,
Jorhat,

Burdwan,

Gangtok,

Kalyani,

Guwahati,

Patna,

Shillong,

Silchar, Siliguri, Tezpur

Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Bareilly, Bhopal,
Gwalior,

Jabalpur,

Kanpur,

Lucknow,

Varanasi
Balasore,

Berhampur

(Odisha),

Bhilai,

Bhimavaram, Bhubaneswar, Bilaspur (CG),

Cuttack,

Eluru,

Hooghly,

Jamshedpur,

Kakinada(Surampalem),
Kharagpur/Haldia/Bishnupur,
Raipur,

Rajahmundry,

Sambalpur,

Kolkata,

Ranchi,

Tadepalligudem,

Rourkela,
Vijayawada,

Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram
7

IIT Madras
Chennai 600036

Alappuzha,
Bapatla,

Aluva,

Chennai,

Angamaly,

Attingal,

Chengannur,

Chittoor,

Website: http://gate.iitm.ac.in/ Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Ernakulam,

Erode,

Gudur,

Kanjirapally,
Karur,

Guntur,

Idukki,

Kanyakumari,

Kadapa,

Karimnagar,

Khammam, Kollam, Kothamangalam,

Kottayam, Madurai, Muvattupuzha, Nagercoil,

Nalgonda, Namakkal, Nedumangad, Nellore,
Ongole,

Pala,

Puducherry

(Pondicherry),

Punalur, Salem, Thanjavur, Thiruchengode,

Thiruvannamalai,

Thiruvananthapuram,

Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Tirupati, Tuticorin,

Vellore, Villupuram, Virudhunagar, Warangal

19

IIT Roorkee
Roorkee 247667
Website:
http://www.iitr.ac.in/gate/

Ambala,

Amritsar,

Bathinda,

Bhimtal,

Dehradun, Ghaziabad, Haldwani, Hamirpur

(HP),

Jalandhar,

Khanna,

Kurukshetra,

Meerut,

Mohali,

LudhianaMoradabad,

Muzaffarnagar, NOIDA, Panipat, Pathankot,

Patiala-Sangrur, Roorkee, Shimla-Solan-Baddi,
Sonepat, Yamunanagar
9

(For GATE International

Candidates)
IIT Roorkee
Roorkee 247667
Website:
http://www.iitr.ac.in/gate/

Addis
Lanka),

Ababa
Dhaka

(Ethiopia),

Colombo

(Bangladesh),

(Sri

Dubai/Abu

Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Kathmandu

(Nepal) and Singapore (These are tentative
only)

* This is a tentative list, and any change shall be updated on website

(www.gate.iitr.ernet.in)

4.5 How to Apply

All candidates have to apply only ONLINE. Details of the application fee
are shown in Table 4.5. The application fee is non-refundable.
Table 4.5: Details of application fee for GATE 2017
Women candidates

Rs. 750

SC/ST/PwD* category candidates

Rs. 750

All other candidates

Rs. 1500

GATE International candidates

US Dollars 50

* PwD means a person who is physically challenged.

For International candidates, there is no need to attach PwD (person

with disability) certificate and category (SC/ST) is NOT APPLICABLE.
The examination fee is uniform for all (US Dollars 50)

20

GATE 2017 application fee payments would have to be made

through online by using net banking or debit card or e-challan facilities.
Additional charges will be applicable as per the rule of the bank from
where the money is being transferred. This charge will be specified on the
payment portal.

4.5.1 GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS)

An online interface is provided for your interaction with the GATE
Office. With this interface you can,
1. Apply for the examination online.
2. Upload photograph, signature, thumb impression and other relevant
documents such as, graduation certificate, category certificate (wherever
applicable) etc.
3. Pay the application fee through net-banking or debit card or e-challan.
4. Check the Status of your application form: Received, Under Scrutiny,
Accepted, Defect Status, Status after Rectification, Rejected with Valid
Reasons, Admit Card Ready for Download, etc.
5. Contact the zonal GATE Office in case of any queries/problems.
6. Download Admit Card.
7. View your answers, marks and GATE score.

The login to this interface uses your GOAPS password. Keep your
password information safe, secure and confidential.
The application procedure remains same for International candidates.
The international candidates must have a passport for making
application.

4.5.2 Filling in Application Online

1. GOAPS: GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS website)
has the web address
http://appsgate.iitr.ernet.in

21

It can also be accessed from the website of the respective Zonal GATE
Offices or from the website of the GATE 2017 Organizing Institute.
Candidates are discouraged from making application through a third
person. If somebody else is making the application on behalf of the
candidate, the candidate must ensure that the data submitted is
absolutely correct. It has been revealed by some candidates with wrong
information in their application that their application was done from a
computer caf owner etc. or by an acquaintance/friend, who did not have
proper and sufficient information about the details of the candidates.
Hence, we strongly discourage such practice in application making.
2. Registration: A candidate must first register by providing a valid email
address, mobile number and a GOAPS password. All communications
from the GATE Offices will be sent to this email address (ONLY ONE
PERSON CAN REGISTER WITH ONE e-mail ADDRESS). Give your
personal mobile number or mobile number of a close relation or friend
who is in regular touch with you, because most of the communications
may also be sent via SMS. The international candidates shall be
contacted only through email address. However, mobile number
information shall be used only when the GATE 2017 Organizing
Institute tries to pass some important information through mobile
phone.
GOAPS Password: The candidate chooses a password during Enrollment
at GOAPS. This password must be remembered along with the GOAPS
Enrolment ID to login to GOAPS. It is strongly encouraged that the
password that cannot be guessed easily (it should not be the candidates
name, date of birth, or some easily guessable string of numbers or letters
like 12345 or abcd).
3. GOAPS Enrollment ID: Upon registration, an email containing the
GOAPS Enrolment ID will be sent to the candidate.
4. Data Requirement for Filling Application: The following data will be
required while filling the form at GOAPS.

22

a) Personal information (name, date of birth, your personal mobile

number, parents name, parents mobile number, etc.).
b) Address for Communication (including PIN code),
c) Eligibility degree details
d) College address, PIN code of college,
e) GATE paper, choice of GATE examination cities,
f)

High

quality

image

of

your

photograph

conforming

to

the

requirements specified.
g) Good quality image of your signature conforming to the requirements
specified.
h) High quality image of your thumb impression confirming to the
requirements specified.
i)

Scanned copy of Degree Certificate or mark sheet of previous

semester/year (for final year candidates) in pdf format.

j)

Scanned copy of Category/PwD Certificate (if applicable) in pdf

format.

k) Details of the valid ID Proof that you will carry to the examination
hall.
l) Your net-banking details.
5. Application Filling:

The GOAPS allows you to enter data, Save

partially filled form, Logout, and resume filling in by logging in again.

The GOAPS portal is self-explanatory and user-friendly. Online help
about using GOAPS is also available.
6. Before you make the payment, you will be shown a Preview of your
application, where you have to carefully check for any errors.
7. Once you press Confirm and Final Submit button, no further
changes to the application can be made by you.
8. For online payment follow the instructions given for payment options.
9. Problems in Login into GOAPS In case of forgotten user ID or
password, follow instructions on the GOAPS portal to retrieve them.
23

4.5.2.1 Supporting Documents

4.5.2.1.1 Eligibility Documents
Eligibility criteria and necessary supporting documents shall be as
mentioned earlier.
4.5.2.1.2 SC/ST/PwD Certificate
Candidates who belong to SC or ST or PwD category have to upload a
valid documentary evidence for concession in fees.

Authorities Empowered to Issue SC/ST Certificates

District Magistrate/ Additional District Magistrate/ Collector/ Deputy

Collector/ Deputy Commissioner/ Additional Deputy Commissioner/ 1st
Class Stipendiary Magistrate/ City Magistrate/ Sub-Divisional Magistrate/
Taluk Magistrate/ Executive Magistrate/ Extra Assistant Commissioner.
Chief Presidency Magistrate/ Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate/
Presidency Magistrate
Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tahsildar
Sub-Divisional Officer of the area where the Candidate and/or her/his
family normally resides
Administrator/

Secretary

to

Administrator/

Development

Officer

(Lakshadweep Islands)

Certificate issued by authorized officials only shall be valid, and

necessary actions shall be initiated for any wrong doing and misinformation.

Authorities Empowered to issue PwD (Person with Disabilities)

Certificates

In order to avail concession under the PwD category, the candidates

should attach a recently obtained proper PwD certificate issued by the
competent authority. The same shall be required to be submitted to the
admitting institution at the time of admission. The onus of verifying PwD
certificate lies with the admitting institute. The GATE committee will not
be responsible for any incorrect declaration of the PwD status of
candidates.
24

4.5.3 Application Fee Payment Options

The application fee and various payment options are shown in Table 4.6.
The application fee is non-refundable.

Table 4.6: Application fee and Payment Options

Candidate Category

Mode*

Application
Fee in

Online Net Banking

750

e-challan

750

Online Net Banking

750

e-challan

750

Women candidates

SC/ST/PwD candidates

Online Net Banking

1500

e-challan

1500

All other candidates

GATE International

Online net banking

candidates

or credit card

US dollars 50

transaction

*Bank charges will be applicable as per the norm.

4.5.3.1 Online Net-banking Payment Details
1. From the GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS), you will
be redirected to the website of the bank of your choice.
2. The fee can be paid with net-banking or debit card or e-challan.
3. The fee amount and bank charges will be shown to you, and you have to
confirm that the payment is for GATE 2017.
4. Once you confirm and the payment is successful, you will be redirected
back to the GATE Online Application Website.
5. If you have a difficulty (due to internet connection or power failure, for
example), and you are not sure whether your payment has been
25

processed or not, then please login back to GOAPS and check the status
of the payment. You can also check the status from your bank.
6. In case the fee amount has been debited from your bank account and
GOAPS does not acknowledge any fee payment, then the money will be
credited back to your account within seven working days.
7. In such a case, you may initiate a fresh payment using GOAPS, even
without waiting for the money to be credited back to your account, so
that your application is on time.
8. Once the payment is successful a Fee Payment Number will be
generated which is unique and MUST be saved by the candidate as it
will be used in the later stages when he/she fills up the GATE 2017
Application form.
Important: It is essential that the candidate fills in the details in GOAPS
without any error as the application is liable to be rejected if there is
any error. As a checklist the candidate MUST verify that he/she has
filled in and uploaded the following as required
a)

Personal information (name, date of birth, personal mobile

number, parents name, parents mobile number etc.).

b) Address for Communication (including PIN code).

c) Eligibility degree details (College address, PIN code of college).
d) Eligibility documents required to appear in GATE 2017 (e.g.,
degree certificate).
e) High quality image of a recent photograph conforming to the
requirements specified earlier.
f)

Category certificate in case a discounted application fee is

claimed.

g) Good quality image of signature conforming to the requirements

specified.
h) High quality image of thumb impression confirming to the
requirements specified.
i)

Details of the same valid ID Proof that will be carried to the

examination hall.

26

j)

Fee payment number.

Note: Before submitting the GATE 2017 Application, please ensure that all the
details and all the necessary supporting documents are filled / uploaded and there
is NO ERROR. An application once submitted CANNOT be changed / rectified.
The current status of an application will be updated after the receipt and scrutiny
of the application by the respective zonal GATE Office. This status can be checked
anytime by logging into GOAPS.

4.5.4 Photograph and Signature Requirements

The GATE 2017 Online Application Processing System requires that your
photograph and signature are uploaded electronically at the time of
submitting your application. Uploading photograph or signature that does
not meet the specifications can result in rejection of the application without
any refund of the application fee.
4.5.4.1 Photograph Requirements
Please pay attention to upload only good quality photograph. Poor quality
of the photograph submitted will lead to rejection of your GATE
application, without any refund of the application fee. The GATE score
card will be printed with the photograph you submit.
1. A passport size photograph of the face of the candidate is required for
application form. The photograph must be in color and taken after 1 August
2016 in a professional studio. Photographs taken using a mobile phone
and

other

self-composed

portraits

may

result

in

rejection

of

application.
2. Background of the photograph must be white or a very light color.
3. The face should occupy at least 75% of the area of the photograph with a
full-face view looking into the camera directly.
4. The main features of the face must not be covered by hair of the head, any
cloth or any shadow. Forehead, eyes, nose and chin should be clearly visible.
5. If you normally wear spectacles, a photograph with glare on glasses is not
acceptable in application. While you may wear spectacles for the photo
shoot, if glare cannot be avoided, then remove the spectacles.

27

6. You must not wear spectacles with dark or tinted glasses, only clear glasses
are permitted.
7. There should be proper flash i.e., proper lighting while taking photograph.
8. Ask your photo studio to provide the image in a JPEG format and also on a
standard 3.5 cm 4.5 cm (Width x Height) print.
9. Maximum pixel resolution for JPEG: 480 640 (0.3 Mega pixel) (Ask your
studio to reduce it to this resolution if it is higher).
10. Minimum pixel resolution for JPEG: 240 320.
11. The photograph must match with your appearance on the day of the
examination.
Figure 4.1 shows the sample of two good quality photographs to recognize the
candidate easily in person in examination hall and to print on the score card.

Figure 4.1: Sample Photograph

28

4.5.4.2 Signature Specifications

1. Please draw a rectangular box of size 2 cm 7 cm (Height x Width) on an
A4 white paper. Sign with black or dark blue ink pen within this box. The
signature with all capital letters or in any other color than black and blue
shall NOT be accepted.
2. Get the digital image of the rectangular box (with your signature inside)
scanned by a professional using a scanner. Crop it to the border of the
box.
3. Only JPEG image formats will be accepted.
4. The maximum pixel resolution for the image is 160 560.
5. The minimum pixel resolution for the image is 80 280.
6. Photographs of the signatures taken using mobile phone are not
acceptable, and can result in rejection of the application without any
refund of the fee.

4.5.4.3 Thumb Impression Specifications

1. Please draw a rectangular box of size 3 cm 5 cm (Height x Width) on an
A4 white paper. Mark your left thumb impression within this box using
a blue or black stamp pad. (Right thumb impression, if it is difficult to
access the left thumb for any reason. For candidates unable to provide
thumb impression for any reason, please provide impression of any
finger)
2. Get the digital image of the rectangular box (with your thumb impression
inside) scanned by a professional using a scanner. Crop it to the border
of the box.
3. Only JPEG image formats will be accepted.
4. The maximum pixel resolution for the image is 160 560.
5. The minimum pixel resolution for the image is 80 280.
6. Photographs of the thumb impression taken using mobile phone are not
acceptable, and can result in rejection of the application without any
refund of the fee.

29

4.6 Admit Card

The Admit Card can only be downloaded from the GATE portal from 5th
January 2017 (tentative). Admit

Cards

shall

NOT

be

sent

by

post/email. Bring a color print-out of the downloaded Admit Card to the

Test Center along with the original and valid photo identification
photocopy / scanned copy/invalid or expired identification. Please note
that you have to give details of this ID proof while filling the online
application. Candidates will NOT be permitted to take the test, if this
original and valid photo identification is not presented in the examination
hall. It may be noted that you would have specified one of the following
IDs during the online application process: Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID,
Aadhaar

UID,

College

ID

or

Employee

Identification

Card.

For

international candidates, passport is a must.

30

IIT Kanpur
5. Examination Related Information
5.1 Structure of GATE 2017
For the GATE 2017 examination, a candidate can apply for only one of
the 23 papers listed in Table 5.1. The syllabus for each of the papers is
given separately. Making a choice of the appropriate paper during GATE
application is the responsibility of the candidate. Some guidelines in this
respect are suggested below.
The candidate is expected to appear in a paper appropriate to the
discipline of his/her qualifying degree. However, the candidate can
choose any paper according to his/her admission plan, keeping in mind
the eligibility criteria of the institutions in which he/she wishes to seek
admission. For more details regarding the admission criteria in any
particular institute, the candidate is advised to refer to the website of
that institute. NO PAPER CHANGE IS PERMISSIBLE AFTER AN
APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.

31

Table 5.1: List of GATE Papers and Corresponding Codes

Paper
Aerospace Engineering
Agricultural
Engineering
Architecture and

Code
AE
AG

Paper
Geology and Geophysics
Instrumentation
Engineering

Code
GG
IN

AR

Mathematics

MA

Biotechnology

BT

Mechanical Engineering

ME

Civil Engineering

CE

Mining Engineering

MN

Chemical Engineering

CH

Metallurgical Engineering

MT

Petroleum Engineering

PE

Physics

PH

Planning

Computer Science and

Information Technology

Chemistry

CS

CY

Electronics and
Communication

EC

Engineering

Production and Industrial

Engineering
Textile Engineering and
Fibre Science

PI

TF

Electrical Engineering

EE

Engineering Sciences

XE*

Ecology and Evolution

EY

Life Sciences

XL**

32

* XE PAPER

CODE

**XL PAPER SECTIONS

CODE

Chemistry (Compulsory)

Fluid Mechanics

Biochemistry

Materials Science

Botany

Solid Mechanics

Microbiology

Thermodynamics

Zoology

Food Technology

SECTIONS
Engineering
Mathematics
(Compulsory)

Polymer Science and

Engineering
Food Technology

Atmospheric and

Oceanic Sciences
*XE (Engineering Sciences) and **XL (Life Sciences) papers are of general
nature and will comprise of Sections listed in the above table. More detailed
explanation is given below.

5.1.1 General Aptitude Questions

All the papers will have a few questions that test the General Aptitude
(Language and Analytical Skills), apart from the core subject of the
paper.

5.1.2 XE Paper
A candidate appearing in the XE paper has to answer the following
1. Section A Engineering Mathematics
2. GA General Aptitude
3. Any two of XE sections B to H

33

The choice of two sections from B to H can be made during the

examination after viewing the questions. Only two optional sections
can be answered at a time. A candidate wishing to change midway of
the examination to another optional section must first choose to
deselect one of the previously chosen optional sections (B to H).

5.1.3 XL Paper
A candidate appearing in the XL paper has to answer the following
1. Section P Chemistry
2. GA General Aptitude
3. Any two of XL sections Q to U

The choice of two sections from Q to U can be made during the

examination after viewing the questions. Only two optional sections
can be answered at a time. A candidate wishing to change midway of
the examination to another optional section must first choose to
deselect one of the previously chosen optional sections (Q to U).

5.2 Duration and Marks

The GATE examination consists of a single paper of 3-hour duration that
contains 65 questions carrying a maximum of 100 marks. The question
paper will consist of both multiple choice questions (MCQ) and numerical
answer type (NAT) questions. The pattern of question papers is discussed
in Section 5.3.
The examination for all the papers will be carried out in an ONLINE
Computer Based Test (CBT) mode where the candidates will be shown the
questions in a random sequence on a computer screen. The candidates
are required to either select the answer (for MCQ type) or enter the
answer for numerical answer type question using a mouse on a virtual
keyboard (keyboard of the computer will be disabled). Each candidate will
be provided with a scribble pad for rough work. The scribble pad has to
be returned after the examination. At the end of the 3-hour window, the
computer will automatically close the screen from further actions.
34

5.3 Pattern of Question Papers

In all the papers, there will be a total of 65 questions carrying 100
marks, out of which 10 questions carrying a total of 15 marks will be
on General Aptitude (GA).
In the papers bearing the codes AE, AG, BT, CE, CH, CS, EC, EE, IN,
ME, MN, MT, PE, PI, TF and XE, the Engineering Mathematics will
carry around 15% of the total marks, the General Aptitude section
will carry 15% of the total marks and the remaining 70% of the
total marks is devoted to the subject of the paper.
In the papers bearing the codes AR, CY, EY, GG, MA, PH and XL, the
General Aptitude section will carry 15% of the total marks and the
remaining 85% of the total marks is devoted to the subject of the
paper.
GATE 2017 would contain questions of two different types in various
papers:
(i) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) carrying 1 or 2 marks each in
all papers and sections. These questions are objective in nature, and
each will have a choice of four answers, out of which the candidate
has to mark the correct answer(s).
(ii) Numerical Answer Questions of 1 or 2 marks each in all papers
and sections. For these questions the answer is a real number, to be
entered by the candidate using the virtual keypad. No choices will be
shown for this type of questions.
Design of Questions
The questions in a paper may be designed to test the following
abilities:
(i) Recall: These are based on facts, principles, formulae or laws of
the discipline of the paper. The candidate is expected to be able to
obtain the answer either from his/her memory of the subject or at
most from a one-line computation.

35

Example
Q. During machining, maximum heat is produced
(A) in flank face
(B) in rake face
(C) in shear zone
(D) due to friction between chip and tool
(ii) Comprehension: These questions will test the candidates
understanding of the basics of his/her field, by requiring him/her to
draw simple conclusions from fundamental ideas.
Example
Q. A DC motor requires a starter in order to
(A) develop a starting torque
(B) compensate for auxiliary field ampere turns
(C) limit armature current at starting
(D) provide regenerative braking
(iii) Application: In these questions, the candidate is expected to
apply his/her knowledge either through computation or by logical
reasoning.
Example
Q. The sequent depth ratio of a hydraulic jump in a rectangular
channel is 16.48. The Froude number at the beginning of the jump is:
(A) 5.0

(B) 8.0

(C) 10.0

(D) 12.0

The questions based on the above logics may be a mix of single

standalone statement/phrase/data type questions, combination of
option codes type questions or match items type questions.
(iv) Analysis and Synthesis: In these questions, the candidate is
presented with data, diagrams, images etc. that require analysis
before a question can be answered. A Synthesis question might
require the candidate to compare two or more pieces of information.
36

Questions in this category could, for example, involve candidates in

recognizing unstated assumptions, or separating useful information
from irrelevant information.

5.4 Marking Scheme

For 1-mark multiple-choice questions, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a
wrong answer. Likewise, for 2-mark multiple-choice questions, 2/3 mark
will be deducted for a wrong answer. There is NO negative marking for
numerical answer type questions.

5.4.1 General Aptitude (GA) Questions

In all papers, GA questions carry a total of 15 marks. The GA section
includes 5 questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 5 marks) and 5
questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 10 marks).

5.4.2 Question Papers other than GG, XE and XL

These papers would contain 25 questions carrying 1-mark each (subtotal 25 marks) and 30 questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total
60 marks). The question paper will consist of questions of multiple
choice and numerical answer type. For numerical answer questions,
choices will not be given. Candidates have to enter the answer (which
will be a real number, signed or unsigned, e.g., 25.06, -25.06, 25, -25
etc.) using a virtual keypad. The questions shall be mentioned with up
to which decimal places, the candidates need to make an answer.
Also, an appropriate range will be considered while evaluating the
numerical answer type questions so that the candidate is not
penalized due to the usual round-off errors.

5.4.3 GG (Geology and Geophysics) Paper

Apart from the General Aptitude (GA) section, the GG question paper
consists of two parts: Part A and Part B. Part A is common for all
candidates. Part B contains two sections: Section 1 (Geology) and

37

Section 2 (Geophysics). Candidates will have to attempt questions in

Part A and either Section 1 or Section 2 in Part B.
Part A consists of 25 multiple-choice questions carrying 1-mark each
(sub-total 25 marks and some of these may be numerical answer type
questions). Each section in Part B (Section 1 and Section 2) consists of
30 multiple choice questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 60
marks and some of these may be numerical answer type questions).

5.4.4 XE Paper (Engineering Sciences)

In XE paper, Engineering Mathematics section (Section A) is
compulsory. This section contains 11 questions carrying a total of 15
marks: 7 questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 7 marks), and 4
questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 8 marks). Some questions
may be of numerical answer type questions.
Each of the other sections of the XE paper (Sections B through H)
contains 22 questions carrying a total of 35 marks: 9 questions
carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 9 marks) and 13 questions carrying
2-marks each (sub-total 26 marks). Some questions may be of
numerical answer type.

5.4.5 XL Paper (Life Sciences)

In XL paper, Chemistry section (Section P) is compulsory. This
section contains 15 questions carrying a total of 25 marks: 5
questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 5 marks) and 10 questions
carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 20 marks). Some questions may be
of numerical answer type.
Each of the other sections of the XL paper (Sections Q through U)
contains 20 questions carrying a total of 30 marks: 10 questions
carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 10 marks) and 10 questions carrying
2-marks each (sub-total 20 marks). Some questions may be of
numerical answer type.

38

5.4.6 Negative Marking

For a wrong answer chosen for the multiple choice questions
(MCQs), there would be negative marking. For 1-mark multiple choice
questions, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Likewise,
for 2-mark multiple choice questions, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a
wrong answer. However, there is NO negative marking for a wrong
answer in numerical answer type questions.

39

IIT Kharagpur
6. Post-Examination Related Information
6.1 GATE Score
After the evaluation of the answers, the raw marks obtained by a candidate
will be converted to a normalized GATE Score.
The GATE score will be computed using the formula given below.
Calculation of Normalized Marks for CE, CS, EC, EE and ME papers
(multi-session papers)
In GATE 2017, examination for some papers may be conducted in multisessions. Hence, for these papers, a suitable normalization is applied to take
into account any variation in the difficulty levels of the question papers
across different sessions. The normalization is done based on the
fundamental assumption that "in all multi-session GATE papers, the
distribution of abilities of candidates is the same across all the sessions".
This assumption is justified since the number of candidates appearing in
40

multi-session papers in GATE 2017 is large and the procedure of allocation

of session to candidates is random. Further it is also ensured that for the
same multi-session paper, the number of candidates allotted in each session
is of the same order of magnitude.
Based on the above, and considering various normalization methods, the
committee arrived at the following formula for calculating the normalized
marks for the multi-session papers.
Normalization mark of jth candidate in the ith session

is given by

where
: is the actual marks obtained by the jth candidate in ith session
: is the average marks of the top 0.1% of the candidates considering all

sessions
: is the sum of mean and standard deviation marks of the candidates in

the paper considering all sessions

: is the average marks of the top 0.1% of the candidates in the ith session
: is the sum of the mean marks and standard deviation of the ith session

After evaluation of the answers, normalized marks based on the above

formula will be calculated corresponding to the raw marks obtained by a
candidate and the GATE 2017 Score will be calculated based on the
normalized marks.
For all papers for which there is only one session, actual marks obtained
will be used for calculating the GATE 2017 Score.

41

Calculation of GATE Score for all papers

GATE 2017 score will be calculated using the formula

In the above formulae

M: marks obtained by the candidate (actual marks for single session papers

and normalized marks for multi-session papers)

: is the qualifying marks for general category candidate in the paper
: is the mean of marks of top 0.1% or top 10 (whichever is larger) of the

candidates who appeared in the paper (in case of multi-session papers

including all sessions)
: 350, is the score assigned to
: 900, is the score assigned to

In the GATE 2017 score formula,

is usually 25 marks (out of 100) or + ,

whichever is larger. Here is the mean and is the standard deviation of

marks of all the candidates who appeared in the paper.
After the declaration of results, GATE Scorecards can be downloaded by
(a) All SC/ST/PwD candidates whose marks are greater than or equal to the
qualifying mark of SC/ST/PwD candidates in their respective papers, and
(b) All other candidates whose marks are greater than or equal to the
qualifying mark of OBC (NCL) candidates in their respective papers.
There is no provision for the issue of hard copies of the GATE
Scorecards.
The GATE 2017 Committee has the authority to decide the qualifying
mark/score for each GATE paper. In case any claim or dispute arises in
respect of GATE 2017, the Courts and Tribunals in Roorkee alone shall have
the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain and settle any such dispute or claim.
42

6.2 GATE 2017 Results

GATE 2017 results will be announced on March 27, 2017 at 17:00
hours and will be available on the GATE Online Application Website.
GATE 2017 score is valid for THREE YEARS from the date of
announcement of the results.
GATE 2017 results may be made available on payment basis to
Government organizations (Educational Institutions, R & D Laboratories,
Industries, etc.) in India and abroad based on a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between the Indian Institute of Technology
Roorkee and the organization intending to use the GATE score. Details in
this regard can be obtained from The Organizing Chairman, GATE 2017,
Indian Institute of Technology - Roorkee.

6.3 GATE 2017 Score Card

After the declaration of results, qualified candidates can download their
GATE 2017 Score Card for the paper (for which he/she has taken the
examination). The GATE 2017 score cards can be downloaded between
March 27, 2017 to May 26, 2017 from the GOAPS portal of gate website.
In case any candidate requires a soft copy of his/her GATE Score Card
after May 26, 2017 till December 31, 2017, they can do so by paying a fee
of

500 (five hundred only) on the GOAPS portal.

43

IIT Madras
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
7.1 Application Process
1. How do I apply ONLINE?
Refer to Section4.5 given in the GATE 2017 Brochure and by visiting the website

http://appsgate.iitr.ernet.in
2. Can I use one e-mail address to fill multiple application forms?
NO, one e-mail address can be used to submit only one application
form.
3. Why should I choose three examination cities?
A candidate will most likely be allotted a centre in the examination
city of his/her first choice. Only in cases where there are too many
candidates opting for a certain city as their first choice, the other two
choices shall be relevant.

A candidate is required to fill his/her

choices of cities to appear for the examination, but should remember

44

that because of operational constraints, the GATE committee reserves

the right to add a new city or remove an existing one, and allot a city
that may not be any of the choices of a candidate.
For candidates from the six other countries, the Centers from
that particular country shall be only one choice (by default) and
these are: Abu

Dhabi.Dubai (UAE), Addis

Ababa

(Ethiopia),

Colombo (Sri Lanka), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kathmandu (Nepal) and

Singapore.
4. My power/internet connection failed during the application
process, what do I do?
Please

login

to

the

GATE

2017

application

website

https://appsgate.iitr.ernet.in again and continue the application

process.
5. Only SC/ST/PwD candidates have been asked to upload the
category certificates.

What about the OBC (non-creamy layer)

candidates? Do they have to upload the category certificate too?

NO. Category certificate is required only to decide the rate for the
application fee. As far as the GATE 2017 examination is concerned,
only SC/ST/PwD candidates and all women candidates qualify for a
reduced fee. That is the purpose of asking for the certificate.
This aspect does not apply to candidates from Bangladesh,
Ethiopia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and UAE
6. How do I make the fee payment for GATE 2017 examination?
There is a link to a payment gateway from the application process.
7. If I want the Online Payment (Net-banking) option, how should I
complete the application process?
After filling all the fields in the ONLINE application form, choose the
Online Payment option and proceed for payment by following the
instructions.
45

a)

Your browser screen will re-direct you to the bank you choose.
Login with your Internet Banking credentials and confirm the
payment.

b)

After confirming the payment, you will be re-directed back to the

GATE 2017 application website where you would be required to
fill in all the details.

c)

At the end of this process, a PDF file will be generated with the
following pages:
i.

Page 1: Application form with the necessary details of the

candidates, like full name, date of birth (DoB), scanned
photograph,

scanned

thumb

impression,

sex,

category

(GE/OBC/SC/ST), PwD (Y/N), full contact address, mobile

number, email id, etc.

ii.

Page 2: Bachelor degree certificate or previous semester/year

grade sheet or mark sheet if you are in final year (depending on
your eligibility status).

iii.

Page 3: The uploaded caste certificate.

iv.

Page 4: The uploaded PwD certificate.

v.

Page 5: Online payment details like your bank account number,

bank name, transaction id, date and time of transaction, amount
paid, etc.

d)

Save it or take a printout of the entire PDF file for your future
reference/use.

8. My power/internet connection failed during online payment.

What do I do?
When you can get back online, first check the status of your payment
on the GATE application website.

a)

If the payment was received by GATE, you can continue the

process of printing the application form.

46

b)

If the payment was not received by GATE, you have to start with
the payment step again, to complete payment.

9. My net banking account has been debited (money taken out) more
than once. How do I get the money back?
This can happen if your bank account was used more than once or
you pressed refresh or back/forward button of your internet browser.
Please check your bank account after 48 hours. Any unaccounted or
excess money that was received on behalf of GATE 2017 from this
account will automatically be returned (credited) to the same bank
account.
10. My bank account has been debited (money taken out), but GATE
Application website says that the payment has not been received.
What do I do?
This happens because of some failure in internet transactions
(including failure of internet connection at your end). As soon as
possible, you MUST initiate a fresh payment process on the GATE
application website, and make the payment again. The money that
was debited (taken out) from your account in the first attempt, will be
credited (put back) to your bank account within seven working days.
You will be charged only once. Any excess/unaccounted debits will be
returned to you.
11. If I want the e-challan option, how should I complete the
application process?
If you select the e-challan option, then you will have to print the
generated challan and will have to go to a branch of the State Bank of
India and pay.
12. Do I have to send the print-out of the application form?
No.

47

13. When and how will I know the status of my application?

You can check the status of your application by logging into GOAPS
website.
14.

After

completing

the

ONLINE

application

process

and

generating a PDF file, will I be able to change my application

data?
NO. After completing all the steps up to PDF application form
generation in the ONLINE application process, you can only download
the application form and CANNOT modify the data. Hence you need to
be very careful while entering the data. You may also save a partially
filled application and login in again at a later point in time to complete
and submit the application, however it must be within the specified
deadline.
15. I have missed to take a print-out of my ONLINE application at
the end of my application process. How will I get access to it?
You can login using GOAPS Enrolment ID and password and take a
printout if you want it for your own reference. The print out must not
be sent to GATE organizing institute.
16:IfIhavenotuploadedphotographnotasperthespecificationsmentioned,will
myapplicationberejected?
Yes,theapplicationshallberejected.

16. Whichidentificationcardnumbersshallbeacceptedinapplicationform?

Onlynumbersofthefollowingidentificationcardsshallbeaccepted:Passport,PANcard,
VoterID,AadhaarUID,collegeID,EmployeeIdentifictionCardforIndiancandidatesand
onlypassportnumberofcandidatesfromBangladesh,Ethiopia,Nepal,Singapore,Sri
Lanka,andUAEshallbeaccepted.

48

7.2 Admit Card

1. When will I receive my admit card?
Admit Card can ONLY be downloaded from the zonal GATE websites
from 5th January 2017. Admit Cards will NOT be sent by post or as
email attachment.
2. Is the Admit card alone sufficient to gain entry to the exam?
NO. The Admit Card has to be brought to the test center along with at
least one original (not photocopied/scanned copy) and valid (not
expired) photo identification, whose details have been entered while
filling the application. ONLY one of the following photo identifications
is permitted: Driving license, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, Aadhaar
UID, valid College ID and Employee Identification Card. Candidates
will not be permitted to take the exam if the original and valid photo
identification is not presented.

7.3 GATE 2017 Exam

1. For how many GATE papers can I apply?
A candidate can apply for only ONE of the 23 papers listed in the
GATE INFORMATION BROCHURE or GATE website. The choice of the
appropriate paper is the responsibility of the candidate. Some
guidelines in this respect are suggested below.
1. The candidate is expected to appear in a paper appropriate to
the discipline of his/her qualifying degree.
2. The candidate is, however, free to choose any paper according to
his/her admission plan, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria
of the institutions in which he/she wishes to seek admission.
2. After submission of application, am I permitted to change my
GATE Examination Paper?

49

Requests for change of GATE Examination paper after the submission

of Application Form will not be considered.
3. After submission of application, am I permitted to change my
GATE Examination City?
Requests for change of examination city will be accepted till
16thNovember, 2016 with a fee of 400/-(four hundred only) to be paid
online using GOAPS.
4. Will I be provided with any white paper for rough work and
calculations during the test?
A scribble pad will be provided to the candidate that can be used to do
the rough work. The candidate has to return the scribble pad after the
examination.
5. Am I allowed to leave the examination hall during the test?
NO. Candidates will NOT be allowed to leave the examination hall for
any reason during the test. Candidates are allowed to leave the
computer laboratory where the exam will be conducted only after the
closure of the test at the scheduled end of examination in a session.
6. What items are not permitted to be brought with me inside the
examination venue?
Only admit card, identification card and a pen shall be permitted to be
taken by the candidate to be taken inside the examination hall. A
simple wrist watch without any calculation device is permissible.
7. Can I use a physical calculator during the examination?
NO. During the online GATE 2017 examination, all candidates will be
provided with an online scientific calculator which has to be used to
answer the questions. No physical calculator will be allowed inside the
examination hall. The same applies to mobile phones. GATE 2017 will
not provide any storage space at examination locations for such
50

objects. If a candidate brings personal belongings including mobile

phones, those will have to be kept outside the examination hall at the
candidates risk. If the candidate is found to be in possession of a
any calculator and mobile phone, he/she shall be disqualified and
the result shall not be declared for the candidate.
8. Will there be any arrangement at the test center for the safe
keeping of my personal items such as my mobile phone?
NO. Such arrangements will not be possible at the test center.
9. What happens if a physical calculator (even on an electronic
watch) or a mobile phone (even in switched off mode) is found in
my possession in the examination hall?
Such cases will naturally constitute violation of GATE 2017 rules and
will lead to disqualification of the candidature. All such candidates
were disqualified in GATE 2016.

7.4 Guidelines related to PwD candidates

1. What are the details of the guidelines that will be followed about
PwD candidates writing GATE 2017 examination?
GATE 2017 will follow the guidelines as mentioned in the government
regulations.
Please refer to
http://www.ccdisabilities.nic.in/content/en/docs/omguide.pdf

and

http://www.ccdisabilities.nic.in/content/en/docs/CCDLetters.pdf

2. Will the facility of scribe and/or additional time be given to all PwD
candidates?
Please refer to
http://www.ccdisabilities.nic.in/content/en/docs/CCDLetters.pdf(in
particular to the fifth page of the document) for the clarification
issued by CCPD on 18.03.2013. The facility of scribe is meant for only
51

those PwD candidates who have physical limitation to write including that of
speed. The additional time would be applicable only to such candidates.

3. Will there be a magnified question paper for visually challenged PwD

candidates?
Yes. Once you reach the examination hall please contact the GATE Institute representative through the invigilator in your examination
hall and he/she will do the needful.

IISc Bangalore
8 Performance of Candidates in GATE 2016
A few performance and statistical data from GATE 2016 examinations are
provided here for the candidates to make a self assessment of the
examination.

52

Table 8.1 Statistics of marks scored by qualified candidates in various papers of

GATE 2016

53

Table 8.2: Year-wise Statistics (2006-2016) of GATE candidates

Year Registered

Appeared

Qualified

% Appeared

% Qualified

2006 184308

170252

33813

92.37

19.86

2007 168917

153822

44387

91.06

28.86

2008 184672

166027

31694

89.90

19.09

2009 230341

212130

35273

92.09

16.63

2010 460541

420596

59853

91.33

14.23

2011 612568

558480

96239

91.17

17.23

2012 777134

686614

108526

88.35

15.81

2013 1200728

984855

136699

82.02

13.88

2014 1033625

889157

149694

86.02

16.84

2015 927580

804463

121060

86.73

15.05

2016 971831

818850

135392

84.26

16.53

Figure 8.1: Category-wise Registered Candidates

54

Figure 8.2 :Category-wise Qualified Candidates

Figure 8.3 (a):Paper-wise Statistics of Performance

Figure 8.3 (b):Paper-wise Statistics of Performance

55

Figure 8.3 (c):Paper-wise Statistics of Performance

Figure 8.4 : Graduating Degree-wise Statistics of Qualified Candidates

56

Figure 8.5:Gender-wise Statistics of Candidates

9. Contact Us
GATE is jointly administered and conducted by the Indian Institute of
Science and seven Indian Institutes of Technology. Table 9.1 gives the
details of each Zonal Office. Each of the institutes administers a zone and
caters to a list of examination cities that fall under that zone. Candidates
are assigned a zone at the time of application, based on the first city of
choice. Candidates must note this zone number for contact purposes.
Candidates must first try to read FAQs. If a query if not resolved even
after going through FAQs, then they should use GOAPS (GATE Online
Application Processing System) to contact zonal GATE offices, which will
provide quicker and clearer information.

57

Table 9.1: Contact details for Zonal GATE Offices

Zone
1

Contact Address
Chairman, GATE
Indian Institute of Science

Phone Number
080-23606761,

e-mail Id
gate@gate.iisc.ernet.in

23606762,
23606763,

Bengaluru 560 012

23606764,
23606765

Chairman, GATE

022-2576 7068

Indian Institute of Technology

022-2572 4054

gateoffice@iitb.ac.in

Bombay, Powai,
Mumbai 400 076

Chairman, GATE
Indian Institute of Technology
Delhi, HauzKhas,

011-2659 1749

chrgate@admin.iitd.ac.in

011-2659 6137

New Delhi 110 016

Chairman, GATE

0361-258 2751

gate@iitg.ernet.in

0512-259 7412

gate@iitk.ac.in

03222-282091

gate@adm.iitkgp.ernet.in

Indian Institute of Technology

Guwahati,
Guwahati 781 039

Chairman, GATE
Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur,
Kanpur 208 016

Chairman, GATE
Indian Institute of Technology
Kharagpur,
Kharagpur 721 302

58

Chairman, GATE

044-2257 8200

gate@iitm.ac.in

01332-284531

gate@iitr.ac.in

Indian Institute of Technology

Madras,
Chennai 600 036

Chairman, GATE
Indian Institute of Technology
Roorkee,
Roorkee 247 667
(GATE International
candidates may contact on
this address)

Information contained in this brochure is correct to the best of the

knowledge and understanding of GATE 2017 committee before the
application processing to start on September 1, 2016. There may be changes
in future due to unavoidable reasons. As and when any change happens, it
will be notified on GATE 2017 website http://gate.iitr.ernet.in

59